Welfare and Falls Rapid Response Service

Hywel Dda University Health Board (HDUHB) commissions the Welfare and Falls Rapid Response Service for those residing in the Pembrokeshire area. This service will respond to incidents to assess and assist people including the provision of a limited clinical response where people have urgent needs, and, following assessment, summon an appropriate medical response if needed and is focused on reducing demand on Emergency Medical Services to release these resources for a more appropriate acuity of call. Currently, within Pembrokeshire, there are very limited falls and lifeline/welfare response pathways, which means that for Pembrokeshire currently, if a person has fallen, the primary route for support is to call 999, and the Level one (1) Falls Response will be deployed, if available. With limited lifeline response available, the default is often to call emergency services for these individuals. The aim of the Welfare and Falls Rapid Response Service is to support people to remain safely at home and reduce the demand on emergency services to respond to non-injurious Falls and Welfare calls, and through the provision of a rapid response service, to prevent unnecessary conveyance to hospital through long lies following a fall. This is not an emergency response service and will not take the place of Ambulance or other emergency medical services, however, the staff should be trained and able to deal with minor clinical incidents, should they arise, as detailed in the Specifications below. This service will work collaboratively alongside the Rapid Transport Service, Short-term Support at Home for Adults and Home Adaptations to Support Hospital Discharge Services in the Pembrokeshire area to provide information, advice, and assistance.